ARE YOU BATTLING FEAR?
And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
When my girls were little, they would occasionally wake up in the middle of the night and get scared in the darkness. Fear prompted them to leave their beds and make a bee line for Mom and Dad’s room. Upon entering, they would quietly make their way to my side of the bed to wake me up and explain, in hushed whispers, “Daddy, I had a bad dream. I’m scared” (They always went to me if they were scared and to Debbie if they were sick. I was fine with that arrangement. I’ll take fear over vomit any day of the week.)
The girls knew I was a pushover. I would always welcome them into my bed to protect them from the danger. As soon as Dad’s strong arms were around their shoulders, the tension in their bodies melted into peace. They were able to relax and go to sleep, no longer worried and afraid. They were with Dad, and they felt completely safe and protected.
COMING TO THE LORD WITH OUR FEARS
Everyone on the planet deals with fear. We face fear on a plethora of fronts: the fear of failure, the fear of sickness, the fear of financial struggle, the fear of crime, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the family disaster, the fear of the future, and the list goes on and on. Now in the midst of our fears, it is good to know that we have a Savior who is Faithful and True. He is the Prince of Peace, and He offers His peace and tranquility to those who will put their faith and trust in Him. Regardless of the circumstances, He is able to handle it. We need not fear when we are resting in the strong arms of Jesus and abiding in His wonderful presence.
Certainly, there are many times when we won’t feel His presence. But rest assured, He is always with those who have entrusted their lives to Him. Even when you walk through the “valley of the shadow of death,” you need not fear any evil, because He promises to be there with you. Will hardships come? Yes. Will trials line your path? Most definitely. But you can know that He will see you through the worst of situations, and one day take you all the way to heaven.
In the last chapter Paul ever wrote in Scripture, he makes this powerful declaration, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom, to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18). Soon after 2 Timothy was penned, Paul was beheaded for his faith in Christ. And instantly upon his death, the Lord took him by the hand and led him into heaven, saying with a smile, “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23).
If you are worried and fearful today, let me encourage you to cast those cares at His feet. Crawl into His loving arms and claim His comfort and assurance for your life. You don’t need to live fearful and anxious. You really can rest in Him!
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
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